Aberdeen is the most recent town in the Upper Hunter Shire to earn recognition from the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) for having facilities aimed at those touring in self-contained recreational vehicles.

Upper Hunter Shire Council’s Business Enterprise and Tourism Manager, Sean Constable, said the ‘RV Friendly’ status offered great potential for the Upper Hunter.

“The Golden Highway and the New England Highway are both popular routes for RV travellers and this will help encourage them to stop, stay and spend in our towns,” Mr Constable said.

“RV Friendly status is key to accessing a tourism market estimated to be worth $2.5 billion annually across Australia. The number of registered RVs in Australia is expected to grow to more than 700,000 vehicles by 2020,” he said.

Aberdeen offers RV travellers short term parking at Abercairney Terrace Campsite. Free overnight parking is available for up to 24 hours and access to bins, water and covered seating is available. Potable water is also located on site and pets on leads are permitted. A dump point can be found at Taylor Park, on Macqueen Street.

Scone received its ‘RV Friendly’ status in February 2017 with the installation of potable water and a dump point on the corner of Aberdeen and Kingdon streets. It offers casual parking in Campbells Corner car park and overnight parking is located at Scone Sports Club, for up to 24 hours for self-contained vehicles.

Merriwa provides 24 hour parking for self-contained vehicles at no cost in Sollys Lane, behind the Visitors Information Centre. Potable water and a dump point are outside the caravan park on Dutton Street.

Murrurundi offers casual and short term parking as well as a dump point in Wilson Memorial Park.

For more information about RV Friendly Towns visit www.cmca.net.au and for more about tourism attractions in the Upper Hunter visit www.upperhuntercountry.com

Wayne Bedggood MAYOR

For further comment: Business Enterprise and Tourism Manager, Sean Constable 0428 659 705

For spectators, the ability to get close to the action provides a thrill not experienced in large arenas. You are literally just metre from all events!

Nestled at the foothills of the Liverpool Range and bounded by the Pages River, The Rosedale Horse Complex offers the perfect location for the annual King Ranges Stockman's Challenage & Bush & Festival.

The three day event highlights the horsemanship and stock handling skills of early Australian stockmen. Preliminary rounds see competitors pitted against each other in the disciplines of horse shoeing, whip cracking, riding bareback through an obstacle course, packing a packhorse as well as stock work and cross country jumping.

Finalists are then required to ride a bucking horse for 8 seconds and catch a wild horse within the specified time limit of 3 minutes, with the winner being named "King of the Ranges."

Complementing the Stockman's Challenge is the Bush Festival with a variety of stalls, display and activities including Cobb & Co Coach rides, cattle dog trials, dog high jump and billy boiling competition.

A highlight this year will be the re-enactment of the life of Archie "Bung" McInnes, a local stockman of the early 1900's who was know as the "King of the Ranges" because of his outstanding horsemanship and stock handling skills and who was the inspiration for the establishment of this event.

The thrills and spills of High Velocity Trick Riding will be front and centre at the upcoming King of the Ranges Stockman's Challenge at Murrurundi on February 24 - 26 2017. Prepare to be amazed by the skills and bravery in this unique and inspirational show which takes horse riding to a thrilling new level.

With booked caravan and camping facilities at the ground you are immersed in the ambiance of the event. If you prefer to be a little further back from the action, you can choose from a number of accommodation options listed on the website: www.kingoftheranges.com.au Tickets are available online.

Only a short 90 minute drive from Newcastle CBD and 3 hours from Sydney, the Upper Hunter Valley offers visitors a true country experience. If you are after a weekend break to escape the hustle and bustle of city life but don't want to venture too far then the Upper Hunter is the ideal location.

Most of the Upper Hunter's generous 18,000 square kilometres is devoted to national parks, nature reserves as well as rural uses like grazing, cropping, dairy farming and horse studs. Before you even leave the highway you will see cows, sheep and goats grazing and horse galloping in the fields.

We have an enticing selection of award winning and boutique epicurean food producers, wineries, cafes and restaurants. There is an annual calendar of festivals and events which includes many diverse horse activities to experience and enjoy.

The region is world famous as the horse capital of Australia and is home to many world-renowned horse studs, and the Australian Stock Horse Society National Headquarters.

The Upper Hunter is also the gateway to the wilderness of the Barrington Tops National Park where you can get lost from the outside world and embrace the rivers, forests and mountainous countryside. Lake Glenbawn also provides for fishing, water skiing and boating, with some gorgeous picnic spots to indulge in sampling the region's food and wines.

The region is one of the most diverse environments in Australia, from western grassland to alpine forests and subtropical zones. There are a wide variety of national parks ranging from comfortable family picnic grounds at Towarri National Park to wilderness areas of the Barrington Tops and Goulburn River National Parks. So whether walking, riding or four wheel driving, there's a place for you.

The Upper Hunter has a wide variety of accommodation from luxury B&Bs to award winning motels, caravan parks, cabins, farm stays and apartments.

Whether you are looking for a short break or a long stay, the region offers an enticing variety of activities. So pack the family, bikes and boats and come on up!

Michael Reid at Murrurundi This joint exhibition by Michelle Carpenter-Kludas and Jihye Min draws inspiration from the English children's classic Henny Penny. Unlike the later, uplifting Americanised 'Chicken Little,' the original English fable, in which the birds are eaten by the fox, bears a stern warning not to believe everything one is told – to keep one's head, or lose it.

Neither artist has lost it. The hand of each artist is clearly present across the exhibition – the potter and the painter both presenting works that rouse a satisfying interplay of rich earthy textures, inky blacks and flashes of deep red.

The dripping glazes of Jihye's ceramics recall the weighty clouds of an approaching summer storm. The falling droplets providing a rhythmic texture which surrounds each vessel. The drips continue in Kludas' painting. Each work captures a unique personality in the painted birds – no doubt from a life time of raising them, studying their traits and knowing them as individuals. Kludas' birds seem to have heeded the warning of Henny Penny. They are noble, resisting the overwhelming urge to panic, despite the waiting fox.

Jihye Min has exhibited her works in Korea, New York, Washington, Antwerp, Melbourne and Sydney. She recently presented a clay-based performance piece at the National Gallery of Australia.

Michelle Kludas is an emerging artist, art-crafter and successful blogger, Michelle has a background in freelance photography and this is her second exhibition focusing on her practice in oil painting.

Striving to provide a quality rural lifestyle, the Upper Hunter has grown to become a leader in regional NSW. Steeped in the history of country NSW, the hills and flats of the shire are the place to be for spectacular festivals and ideal rural surroundings. Encompassing the towns of Murrurundi, Scone, Merriwa, Aberdeen and many other small villages, the Upper Hunter covers about 8,069 square kilometers with a population of about 14,500 people.

Stretching from the rugged mountain ranges in the north to Lake Glenbawn in the east, rolling hills in the south and golden plains in the west, the Upper Hunter Shire is a diverse, scenic and widely growing area to visit or make your home. There is plenty to see and do with a range of activities, events and vivid natural attractions. The Upper Hunter boasts excellent infrastructure, leading health and community services, quality education and there is also a variety of sporting and cultural activities. The thriving economic base is centred on a very wealthy equine and agriculture industry allowing the townships a buoyant and well services retail area. This scenic region is also home to cattle and sheep grazing lands, cereal cropping, wineries and prestigious thoroughbred horse studs.

We extend an open invitation to you to come and visit our diverse and beautiful Shire.